Voices of the present on Hamilton’s Black history
Martin Luther King Jr. said we are not makers of history; we are made by history." What does the past mean to members of the Black community in Hamilton today, and what lies ahead? The Spectator offers reflections from three voices.
On Black history in Hamilton:
I think of the people who were able to come together to pave a way for Black community members to feel like they belong, and how much fight that took ... Today we are dealing with yellow vesters but I can't imagine what it was like to see white supremacists marching down James Street." - Sarah Jama, 26-year old activist
People need to know how far we have come, and what remains to be done; the hard fought victories we've had locally striking down anti-Semitic and anti-Black practices in real estate and employment. This knowledge gives a sense of stability and permanence to our Black community and its institutions." - Evelyn Auchinvole, Stewart Memorial Church historian
On the mission for the Black community still ahead:
We're in a period where people are told everyone is equal and Black people can follow the Canadian dream, but the reality is there's still a lot of work to be done, and I don't think even today people are truly free; meritocracy doesn't exist. We still have a lot to grapple with in terms of systemic racism, and what that looks and feels like, and the generational impacts it continues to have." - Sarah Jama
Times have changed, yet Black students today complain strenuously about ongoing experiences of systemic racism ... Perhaps the awakening unleashed by the George Floyd murder will move us closer to the top of this hill." - Gary Warner, retired McMaster University professor
I love what Black Lives Matter is doing ... If you attend gatherings, or the cultural events like slam poetry, it's just amazing, the creativity of language used to describe how it is living as Black people." - Evelyn Auchinvole
People are beginning to imagine what it would be like to be free of racism in all its forms. There's a cultural revolution happening, and we are closer than ever; for the first time people are asking what could be, and it's exciting." - Sarah Jama
Jon Wells is a Hamilton-based reporter and feature writer for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jwells@thespec.com